The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education strives for excellence in reading instruction by supporting these practices. The training programs developed by the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education provide educators with the knowledge necessary to teach reading based on reliable research and effective practices.

The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education is a national company that specializes in on-site, customized professional development, using the revised Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory method of language instruction. These powerful strategies can:

• Fulfill Title I requirements
• Build communication and consistency school/district wide
• Provide research-based reading instruction and early intervention strategies
• Create ongoing high-quality professional development
• Facilitate parental involvement
• Enable a school to set and achieve rigorous academic standards for all students, including children with limited English proficiency and children with learning disabilities

The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education's training programs provide:

• A balanced approach to teaching reading, writing and spelling across the curriculum
• The skills necessary to teach phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, fluency and comprehension
• Instructional use of ongoing assessment to monitor individual strengths and needs
• Methods that support classroom and special education teachers, reading specialists and paraprofessionals in presenting language instruction through a process of introduction, discovery, learning, review, practice and evaluation.

Orton-Gillingham

The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education's training programs are based on the Orton-Gillingham method of reading instruction developed by Dr. Samuel T. Orton and educator Anna Gillingham. The Orton-Gillingham methodology utilizes phonetics and emphasizes visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles. Instruction begins by focusing on the structure of language and gradually moves towards reading. The program provides students with immediate feedback and a predictable sequence that integrates reading, writing and spelling.

The Orton-Gillingham method is language-based and success-oriented. The student is directly taught reading, handwriting and written expression as one logical body of knowledge. Learners move step by step from simple to more complex material in a sequential, logical manner that enables students to master important literacy skills. This comprehensive approach to reading instruction benefits all students.

Reciprocal Teaching, developed by Palinscar and Brown, provides the program's critical comprehension strand. This highly effective instructional activity employs strategies to increase students' ability to read for meaning and retention.

The ability to read is crucial to the success of all students, and it is essential to success in our society. It is the academic skill that lays the foundation for all learning. The methods used by the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education give teachers the confidence and skills to deliver powerful reading instruction to every child. The Institute is committed to working in partnership with the district and its schools to provide high-quality staff development training that supports educational excellence.